Supervisory control system for selectively connecting recorders and transcribing stations

ABSTRACT

A supervisory control system is provided for selectively connecting any one of a plurality of endless tape recorderreproducers to any one of a plurality of remote transcribing stations by simply turning respective selector switches for the recorder-reproducers to the desired stations. A relay control circuit is provided for each switch which cuts out the interstation circuits automatically of a recorder-reproducer when the respective switch is moved to an active transcribing station already connected to another recorder-reproducer.

United States Patent Keitel [451 Dec. 19,1972

[54] SUPERVISORY CONTROL SYSTEM FOR SELECTIVELY CONNECTING RECORDERS AND TRANSCRIBING STATIONS [72] Inventor: John C. Keltel, lselin, NJ.

731 Assignee: McGraw-Edison com an Elgin,

221 Filed: April 14,1971

21] Appl.No.: 133,842

52 US. Cl ..179/100.1 DR, 179/1 sw, 179/2 A, v 179/6 E [511 1111.01. 4.1104111 11/10 [58] Field of Search ..179/100.l DR, 6 E, 6 C, 20, 179/21, 31, 32, 39, 2 A, 1 SW; 317/112 T, 139; l78/4.l

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Johnston ..179/l00.l DR

3,328,536 6/1967 Bolick ..179/l00.1 DR 2,200,35l 5/1940 Whitehead et al. ..l79/6 E 3,061,686 10/1962 Lummis, 1 79/39 Primary ExaminerRaymond F. Cardillo, Jr. Attorney-George H. Fritzinger 57 ABSTRACT A supervisory control system is provided for selectively connecting any one of a plurality of endless tape recorder-reproducers to any one of a plurality of remote transcribing stations by simply turning respective selector switches for the recorder-reproducers to the desired stations. A relay control circuit is provided for each switch which cuts out the inter-station circuits automatically of a recorder-reproducer when the respective switch is moved to an active transcribing station already connected to another recorderreproducer.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEU BEE 3.706, 858 sum 2 or 2 F IG. 2

LAMP

SPEED CONTROL INVENTOR. JOHN C. KEITEL BY M H AGENT SUPERVISORY CONTROL SYSTEM FOR SELECTIVELY CONNECTING RECORDERS AND TRANSCRIBING STATIONS It is common in many industries to install a battery of recorder-reproducer machines into which executives will record dictation by remote control and to have a transcribing room with a number of transcribers which likewise will transcribe the recorded dictation by remote control. The dictators will have selector equipment to make automatic connection to an idle machine upon picking up a dictators s handset from its supporting cradle. However, a supervisor is normally provided to delegate the transcription of the recorded dictation to one or another of a group of transcribers as the dictation accumulates from the different machines.

It has been common practice in supervisory systems of the character mentioned to plug in line cords in a switchboard to make selective connection of any of several recorder-reproducer machines to one or another of a group of transcribing stations. Such connector systems avoid all possibility of duplicate connection since a plug-in of a line cord permits only one connection to a station, but this type of connector system is slow and cumbersome. The present supervisory system enables interstation connections to be made simply by turning a switch knob for a recorder-reproducer machine to a desired station. If that station is already active, a control circuit is activated to cause a signal light to come on and the interstation circuits are automatically opened. The operator then simply turns the switch to a next position until an interstation connection is completed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved supervisory control system for selectively interconnecting multi-circuit stations of one series with operating stations of another series in a facile manner by simply turning a respective switch to thedesired station.

Another object is to provide such supervisory control system with protective control circuit means to prevent interference with already completed interstation circuits when an attempt is made to connect a station of the first series to an already activated operator station.

These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

In the description of the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a drawing of a fractional schematic diagram illustrating the present supervisory system; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic showing of the control circuits to the different machines and transcribing stations.

In FIG. 1, a series of tape recorder-reproducer machines of which three are shown by way of example are diagrammatically indicated by box enclo-.

sures M1, M2 and M3. Similarly, five stations of a second series representing different transcribing stations are illustrated by box enclosures T1-T5. Each machine and transcribing station has typically twelve terminals as illustrated in FIG. 2. Interstation wires are connected to the first eleven terminals and are referred to individually by the lines L1-L11 with the group of the lines being referred to as cables thirteen. Only by way of example the lead wires or terminals for each machine and transcribing station may represent respectively listen, repeat, forward scan, back scan, speed control (terminals 5, 6 and 10) indicator lamp (terminals 7 and 9), audio volume (terminals 8 and 12) and an on-ofi' ground terminal 11. Ground connections are made permanently to terminals 12 at the machines andstations as indicated by the minus terminal 14 (FIG. 1). The remaining eleven terminals from each machine must be connected to the respective eleven terminals of a transcribing station in order to render the station effective to control that machine.

A multi-pole multi-circuit wafer-type switch is provided for each recorder-reproducer machine for making the selective interstation connections, these wafer switches being designated by the reference numbers S1, S2 and S3 for the respective machines M1, M2 and M3. Each switch has eleven poles W1-W11 connected to the respective leadout wires of the respective machines, another pole W12 for a respective control circuit designated by the letter Cwith the number of the respective machine, a control selector pole W13 and an on-off grounding pole W14. Each pole of the switches 81-83 has a first off contact position and as many active contact positions as the number of the transcribing stations, the active contacts being designated from numbers 1 to 5 in the present illustrative system. The No. 1 active contacts 'of the poles Wl-Wll of each switch 81-83 are connected by the respective cable 13-1 to the transcribing station Tl' (only the station Tl being shown by way of example), the No. 2 active contacts of the poles Wl-Wl'l of each switch 81-83 are connected by another cable (not shown) to the corresponding terminals of the transcribing station T2, etc. Thus, each switch Sl-S3 can be shifted selectively to positions 1-5 to connect selectively the respective machine Ml-M3 to the different transcribing stations. The trouble with the selector system as so far described is that two or more of the machines Ml-M3 could be connected to the same transcribing station by shifting the respective interstation switches 81-83 to the sameposition. This would cause interference and render the recorder-reproducer system inoperable. By the present invention the control circuits Cl-C3, hereinbefore referred .to, are provided in connection with the respective selector switches 81-83 to avoid such possible interference.

Eachcontrol circuit C1-C3 leads from a plus terminal 15 of a d. c. voltage source through the .respec tive control circuits C1-C3 connected in parallel with respect to the ground terminal 14. The control circuits include respective indicator bulbs B1-B3 and relays Kl-K3 connected in parallel but each relay is a set of three relays operable as one designated with suffix letters A, B and C to reduce the work load on the individual relays. The control circuits C'1-C3 connect respectively to poles W12 of the respective switches S1-S3. Associated with the respective poles is an off position contact and five active position contacts Nos. 1 to 5. Each active contact associated with a pole W12 of a switch 81-83 is connected, through separate blocking diodes designated by the letter D with the number of the respective contact,'to the corresponding contact of each pole W13 of the remaining switches S1-S3. Thus, for example, contact No. 1 of pole W12 of switch S1 is connected through diode D1 and line 17 to contact No. 1 of pole W13 of switch S3 and is connected through diode D1 and line 18 to contact No. 1

of pole W13 of switch S2. Similarly, for example, contact No. 1 of switch S2 is connected through diode D1 and line 19 to contact No. 1 of pole W13 of switch S3 and through diode D1 and line 20 to contact No. 1 of pole W13 of switch S1. The poles W13 of the switches 81-83 are connected by circuits 21, 22and 23 to the poles W14 of the respective switches 81-83. All of the active contacts Nos. 1 to 5 of switch poles W14 are interconnected by jumpers 16 to ground terminal 14.

The relays XI -K3 of the respective control circuits C1-C3 have normally closed contact pairs designated by the relay number plus the number of the associated switch pole. These relay contact pairs are connected serially in the interstation lines of the respective machines M1 M3 leading to the poles Wl-WS, W8-W10 and W14. Further, the poles W12 and W13 of each of the switches 81-83 are set to make-contact prior to all the other poles of the respective switches. This is accomplished simply by providing the poles W12 and-W13 with so-called shorting contacts marked W128 and W138. Thus, if switch S2 is thrown to position 1 to connect machine M2 to transcriber station T1 when switch S1 is already in position 1 connecting machine M1 to transcribing station T1, the control circuit C2 associated with switch S2 is operated as a first incident from the plus terminal 15 through lamp B2 and relays K2 in parallel, pole W12 and contact No. l

of switch S2, diode D1 and line 20, contact No. 1 and pole W13 of switch S1, and line 21, relay switch KC1-14, pole W14 and contact No. 1, jumpers 16 and ground terminal 14. The activation of relays K2 open the lines to switch poles Wl-WSand W8-W10 and W14 associated with machine M2 prior to the time that these poles make with their No. 1 contacts to prevent the connection of machine M2 to the transcriber station T1. At the same time the control circuit C1 of switch S1 remains not operated via line 18 even though switch pole W13 of switch S2 is made with its associate No. 1 contact because this contact runs via line 22 to pole W14 of switch S2 and this pole is delayed relative to the poles W12 and W13 with the result that it is not I made when pole W13 of switch S2 completes its circuit v completed by the latter.

The embodiment of our invention herein particularly shown and described is intended to be illustrative and not necessarily limitative of our invention, since the same is subject to changes and modifications without departure from the scope of our invention, which 1 endeavor to express according to the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a supervisory electrical system including first and second series of stations each having a predetermined number of interstation connector lines leading therefrom: a selector switch mechanism comprising a multipole, multiposition switch for each station of said first series, said switch having a'line pole connectedto each of said interstation lines, a control circuit pole, a

:2 "seats .sssarsrt sarst and as many active contact positions'as the number of stations in said second-series, lead lines connecting the active contacts of each line pole to the corresponding interstation lines of said respective stations of said second series, a control circuit having a relay for each of said switches, each of said relays having a set of nor-. mally closed contacts in each of a predetermined number of said interstation lines of the station of said first series corresponding to the respective switch, a lead line connection from each active contact of said control circuit pole of each of said switches to the corresponding active contact of the ground selector pole of each remaining one of said switches, and a ground circuit connection to each ground selector pole serially including a set of normally closed contacts of the relay of the respective switch and said grounding pole of the operated to open the preselected number of said interstation connector lines of the station corresponding to said one switch; g

2. The supervisory electrical system set forth in claim 1 wherein said control circuit pole and said ground selector pole of each of said switches is advanced'relative to the remaining poles of said switch to cause'the respective relay to beoperated prior; to the'remaining poles making contact when said switch is shifted to connect one of the stations of said first series to one of the stations of said second series already connected to another station of said first series.

3. The supervisory electrical system set forth in claim 2 wherein said control circuit pole and said ground selector pole in each of said switches are provided with shorting-type contacts.

4. The supervisory electrical system set forth in claim 2 wherein the line connection from each active contact of the control circuit pole of each switch to the corresponding contact of the ground selector pole of each remaining switch serially includes an individual blocking diode.

5. The supervisory system set forth in claim 1 wherein each station of said first series is an endless tape recorder-reproducer having independently operable recording and reproducing mechanisms cooperatpositron 

1. In a supervisory electrical system including first and second series of stations each having a predetermined number of interstation connector lines leading therefrom: a selector switch mechanism comprising a multipole, multiposition switch for each station of said first series, said switch having a line pole connected to each of said interstation lines, a control circuit pole, a ground selector pole and an on-off grounding pole, and each of said poles of said switch having an off position and as many active contact positions as the number of stations in said second series, lead lines connecting the active contacts of each line pole to the corresponding interstation lines of said respective stations of said second series, a control circuit having a relay for each of said switches, each of said relays having a set of normally closed contacts in Each of a predetermined number of said interstation lines of the station of said first series corresponding to the respective switch, a lead line connection from each active contact of said control circuit pole of each of said switches to the corresponding active contact of the ground selector pole of each remaining one of said switches, and a ground circuit connection to each ground selector pole serially including a set of normally closed contacts of the relay of the respective switch and said grounding pole of the same switch whereby upon shifting one of said switches to a preselected position to connect one of the stations of said first series to one of the stations of said second series already connected to another station of said first series the relay corresponding to said one switch is operated to open the preselected number of said interstation connector lines of the station corresponding to said one switch.
 2. The supervisory electrical system set forth in claim 1 wherein said control circuit pole and said ground selector pole of each of said switches is advanced relative to the remaining poles of said switch to cause the respective relay to be operated prior to the remaining poles making contact when said switch is shifted to connect one of the stations of said first series to one of the stations of said second series already connected to another station of said first series.
 3. The supervisory electrical system set forth in claim 2 wherein said control circuit pole and said ground selector pole in each of said switches are provided with shorting-type contacts.
 4. The supervisory electrical system set forth in claim 2 wherein the line connection from each active contact of the control circuit pole of each switch to the corresponding contact of the ground selector pole of each remaining switch serially includes an individual blocking diode.
 5. The supervisory system set forth in claim 1 wherein each station of said first series is an endless tape recorder-reproducer having independently operable recording and reproducing mechanisms cooperating with different portions of the tape, and each of said stations of said second series is a transcribing station having control and listening equipment enabling a transcriber to operate the reproducing mechanisms of said recorder-reproducer to transcribe recorded dictation selectively from said first series of stations according to the positioning of said selector switches. 